Overeating & tummies

Gastric accommodation to meals is responsible for weight gain in obesity patients, says a report.

A new study conducted by researchers from the Union Hospital of Tongji Medical College in China has revealed that exaggerated gastric accommodation to meals is responsible for weight gain in patients suffering from morbid obesity.

The mean value of minimal distending pressure, reflecting intra-abdominal pressure, was significantly elevated in obese patients, as compared with the healthy controls, as was the postprandial (after a meal) increase in gastric volume. No significant difference was noted in gastric compliance between the two.

The results showed that obese patients eat more during meals than people at a healthy weight before experiencing a feeling of fullness, due to an increased minimal distending pressure and an exaggerated gastric accommodation.

According to Xiaohua Hou, lead author of the study, "We believe this could help explain some of the biological challenges for the morbidly obese to losing weight through conventional methods such as calorie counting."

"Weight loss approaches in this population need to be addressed differently to achieve successful results and surgery may often be a necessity to correct the problem," he added.